With vaccination rates continuing to decline, health professionals warn of a return of otherwise preventable diseases and are calling for action to ensure Tasmanians remain protected. Dr Tim Jones, a general practitioner (GP) based in Hobart, has seen vaccine hesitancy grow in his practice. He describes how deeply troubling and sometimes urgently clinical diseases have set alarms on the safety, health, and environment of children. Recent statistics reveal a troubling trend: the percentage of children fully vaccinated by age two has dropped from 92.1% to 89.4%.
Dr. Jones faces the fear and skepticism that surrounds vaccines on a daily basis. He cites economic and cultural barriers that keep people from reaching affordable care, further layering on the burden of hesitancy. With almost 10 years as a GP under his belt, he starts to observe a growing trend in vaccine hesitancy. This trend is even stronger than when he initially began his practice. About half of parents with currently unvaccinated kids voice concerns about vaccine safety and about 4 in 10 doubt vaccines’ effectiveness.
Dr. Jessica Kaufman, one of the lead researchers at the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, on the effectiveness of grassroots efforts. These initiatives have been essential in shifting perceptions about the importance of vaccinating. She argues that intimacy and values are crucial to the contagion of vaccination.
The Growing Challenge of Vaccine Hesitancy
Dr. Jones depicts the emotional warfare that too many parents endure on both sides of the vaccine debate.
“A lot of parents worry about seeing their kids in pain, or worry they are making the right decision or may just have a needle phobia themselves,” – Dr. Kaufman
This reluctance isn’t limited to Tasmania – we’re hearing the same sentiments across the country as vaccine myths spread like wildfire. Dr. Kaufman weighs in on how geopolitical factors are driving vaccine hesitancy at home and abroad.
“What’s happening in the US means things that used to be fringe beliefs are becoming mainstream,” – Dr. Kaufman
Patients are showing up in clinics with unique queries regarding vaccines and alternative treatments.
Dr. Kaufman cautions that certain diseases are reaching a point of being “clinically urgent.” This sentiment is echoed by Dr. Jones, who reflects on the alarming reality of preventable diseases resurfacing in developed countries.
“As a GP working in 2025, I did not think I would be seeing kids in the developed world die of measles and yet this is the situation we’re now facing,” – Dr. Jones
As seen with the possible return of diseases such as measles, we must do all we can to enhance vaccination rates right now.
Addressing Barriers to Vaccination
In order to be effective, experts stress the need for understanding and addressing barriers to vaccination. Reflecting on her experiences working on the National Vaccination Insights Project, social scientist Dr. Julie Leask emphasizes the power of reminders. As she illustrates here, their execution is frequently lacking.
“Reminders work but they are quite ad hoc right now and it’s up to the GP practice,” – Dr. Leask
She now lobbies for systematic approaches that remind parents of missed vaccinations to improve compliance rates.
Dr. McMullen from the Australian Medical Association (AMA) insists on the necessity of reviewing public health vaccination campaigns in Australia. He contends that sitting back on our laurels with high vaccination rates played a role in getting us to today’s decline.
“Perhaps as a country we’ve become complacent in trusting our really excellent vaccination rates,” – Dr. McMullen
These are non-specific, he says, so we need to get to the root of families’ hesitance in vaccinating their children. Only then can we develop focused solutions to meet those challenges.
Pathways to Improvement
To successfully increase vaccine uptake, Dr. Kaufman recommends the following strategies. He recommends hiring additional practice nurses and establishing walk-in vaccination clinics to improve accessibility. Allowing pharmacists to administer childhood immunizations could prove beneficial in reaching those who may have difficulty accessing traditional healthcare settings.
Instead of inundating parents with a barrage of messages, Dr. McMullen highlights the need for more targeted communication.
“Just blasting them with more and more information may not change the dial,” – Dr. McMullen
He emphasizes that advocacy should speak to what parents care about, and we must speak to those concerns with empathy.
Dr. Kaufman really drives home this notion. He’s convinced that a highly tailored approach can help more efficiently bridge the gap between healthcare providers and hesitant parents.
“It’s just about someone saying, ‘this is how vaccination fits in with my values and my values are your values cause we’re in the same place’,” – Dr. Kaufman
Health professionals are in strong agreement that collaboration and community engagement are key elements to flipping the script on falling vaccination rates.
